Bengaluru: The impending Cabhinet reshuffle will be a tight-rope walk for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with the number of aspirants seeking ministerial berths shooting up.
On Saturday, a group of 25 legislators met the CM at his residence seeking removal of 25 'non-performing' ministers of the total 34 and the induction of new faces to improve the government's image with Assembly polls due to be held in 24 months. They also want first-time legislators to be made ministers without giving priority to seniors. A Cabinet minister on the condition of anonymity ruled out removal of 25 ministers to accommodate new faces as it will create more problems. He said the CM is unlikely to follow the 'Kamaraj model' of obtaining the resignation of all 34 ministers to form the new team giving preference to young blood. Instead, he is likely to go by caste, community and region while going for the Cabinet reshuffle, expected to take place before the end of this month.
The CM has to consult the party high command before finalizing the exercise as the party cannot take any risk in view of the Assembly polls due in April, 2018. The minister admitted that there is no bar on inducting first time legislators as Women and Child Welfare Minister Umashree falls in that category. At the same time, the CM cannot afford to have a new team without experienced or senior legislators in the Cabinet. The need of the hour is to strike a balance between first time legislators and veterans. “A group of 25 'like-minded' legislators may have met the CM and demanded dropping of 25 non-performing ministers. But the question is whether it is feasible. Can Mr Siddaramaiah induct all those who had met him into the Cabinet and leave out others? Of course, legislators have expressed their wish and it is for the CM to take a call. In my view, only three to four from the 'like-minded' group may make it to the Council of Ministers.” Meanwhile, sources close to the CM told Deccan Chronicle that whatever may be the pressure on Mr Siddaramaiah, ultimately he may use his discretionary powers at the time of reshuffle. He will also have to consult AICC in-charge for Karnataka, Mr Digvijay Singh, AICC President Sonia Gandhi and Vice-President Rahul Gandhi. Representation to all districts must be provided in the wake of complaints from several legislators about non-representation and over-representation to some districts.
The sources stated that the high command is not in a mood to go for a change in leadership fearing dissidence in the state unit. A group of MLAs owing allegiance to Congress floor leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge might have met him. But no one is sure if Mr Kharge wants to enter state politics or become CM. Moreover, he being a senior Congress leader, is not the kind of person to engineer a coup within the party.
Mr Siddaramaiah will certainly consider legislators of Mumbai-Karnataka and Hyderabad-Karnataka region for induction at the time of reshuffle. Those who are not accommodated in the Cabinet, are likely to be appointed chairpersons of various boards and corporations, sources said.
